"They could be retired in less than 10 years" - Paul Nicholson sees an unprecedented scenario for Luke Littler and Luke Humphries

According to former pro Paul Nicholson, it is far from unthinkable that Luke Littler will retire from elite sport before turning thirty. The Englishman, still only a teenager, has built a financial cushion in barely two years that previous generations of darts players could only dream of.

‘The Nuke’ collected a staggering £2,870,500 in prize money over the past two seasons. The current world number one also won his second world title in December and captured the Winmau World Masters for the first time. His list of honours is growing at breakneck speed – and so is his bank balance.

Nicholson points to the sport’s changing economic landscape. Where players once had to spend years building financial security, today’s elite earn sums in a short span that make early retirement possible.

“If we’d asked three years ago, can someone win every PDC major before the age of 20, I would have said, ‘you must be out of your mind,’" Nicholson told Betway. “But look where we are now.”

The Australian even sketches a scenario where a player wins the Premier League eight times before turning thirty. “I’m not saying he’s going to go and do it. Luke Littler and Luke Humphries are winning so much money. They could be retired in less than 10 years. We’re talking about footballer retirement ages."

According to Nicholson, the era when players had to keep going into advanced age is over. “No one has to go to 72 like Paul Lim, or into their mid-60s like Steve Beaton. You don’t have to."

Where older generations relied on exhibitions and side activities to supplement their income, players like Littler have a solid financial base early in their careers. “They’re earning so much money and they’re being so astute with it that they don’t have to play into their mid-30s and 40s."

At the same time, Nicholson stresses that a long career still pays off. ““But if they want to play for 20 years, they can earn a lot of money and they break records like getting eight or more Premier Leagues.”

The fact is, Littler has already amassed over three million pounds in his career. Winning the Premier League could add another £350,000. ‘The Nuke’ has not started his 2026 campaign well, however. He lost his opening match last Thursday to Gian van Veen, who would later lose the final to Michael van Gerwen. With 15 league nights remaining, Littler still has plenty of time to put this right and qualify for Finals Night.